Congenital diverticulum of the left atrium
V Srinivasan1, Leon Levinsky, Badr Idbeis
1The Departments of Cardiology and Cardiovascular Surgery, Children's Hospital, Buffalo, New York.
Cardiovascular Diseases
|December 1, 1980
Insights
Congenital diverticulum of the left atrial appendage is a rare condition. Surgical excision of these diverticula can effectively treat associated complications like cerebral embolism and pericarditis.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Pediatric Cardiology
- Congenital Heart Disease
Background:
- Congenital diverticulum of the left atrial appendage is a rare cardiac anomaly.
- It can lead to serious complications in children, including embolic events and pericarditis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe two pediatric cases of congenital left atrial appendage diverticulum.
- To review the existing literature on this rare congenital abnormality.
Main Methods:
- Surgical excision of the diverticula was performed in both cases.
- A literature review was conducted on congenital diverticulum of the left atrium.
Main Results:
- Case 1: A 3-year-old girl presented with cerebral embolism secondary to left atrial appendage diverticulum.
- Case 2: A 3.5-year-old girl presented with signs of pericarditis attributed to the diverticulum.
- Both patients were successfully treated with surgical excision.
Conclusions:
- Congenital diverticulum of the left atrial appendage, though rare, is a treatable cause of embolic events and pericarditis in children.
- Surgical management is effective in resolving associated complications.
Abstract:
Two cases of congenital diverticulum of the left atrial appendage are described. The first patient was a 3-year-old girl who had a cerebral embolism. The second patient was a 3(1/2)-year-old girl with signs of pericarditis. Treatment consisted of excising the diverticula. The limited literature on diverticulum of the left atrium as a congenital abnormality is also briefly reviewed.
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